Departmental Air Travel

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many journeys  (a) he and his predecessors and  (b) his officials made by aeroplane in the course of their duties in each of the last five years.

Ann McKechin: The number of aeroplane journeys undertaken by Scotland Office Ministers and officials, in the course of their duties, are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Ministers 19 9 14 22.5 
			 Officials 314.5 291 294 249.5 
			 Total 333.5 300 308 272 
		
	
	A return journey is classed as one journey; if, for example, the outward leg of a journey is undertaken by air and the return by train, this is shown as half a journey. Figures are not available for years prior to 2004-05.
	Travel by Ministers and civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the "Ministerial Code" and the "Civil Service Management Code" respectively.

Departmental Energy

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps his Department is taking to reduce the amount of energy it wastes.

Ann McKechin: The Government's Delivery Plan for "Sustainable Procurement and Operations on the Government Estate", published in August 2008, provides a full account of the initiatives Departments are taking to reduce their energy waste. The Government have committed to updating the Delivery Plan on a six monthly basis, and the first of these updates was published on 18 December 2008.

Paid Posts

Evan Harris: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners pursuant to the answer of 11 December 2008,  Official Report, column 201W, on paid posts, for what reason the posts of Secretary to the Church Commissioners and Chief Financial Officer are reserved for practising Christians.

Stuart Bell: Both post holders have particular responsibilities for maintaining the Christian ethos of their organisations as well as representing the Church to others in society. Current discrimination legislation allows religious organisations to restrict appointment to Christians or Anglicans in those circumstances.

Paid Posts

Evan Harris: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners pursuant to the answer of 11 December 2008,  Official Report, column 201W, on paid posts, whether the post of  (a) Secretary to the Church Commissioners and  (b) Chief Financial Officer could be filled by a practising Roman Catholic.

Stuart Bell: The Chief Financial Officer has a responsibility to help maintain the Christian ethos of the National Church Institutions and this post could be filled by a Roman Catholic or a person from any other Christian denomination.
	The Secretary to the Church Commissioners has a particular responsibility for representing the Church of England and maintaining its ethos within the Commissioners and, as such, appointments have been restricted to Anglicans in the past.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much public expenditure was incurred in respect of  (a) Greatrex Associates,  (b) Paul Sullivan Snooker and Pool,  (c) Coffee Republic,  (d) Bristol and District Retirement Council,  (e) Cherubs Floral Design Ltd. and  (f) Total Horsemanship Ltd in 2007-08; and for what purpose in each case.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 8 December 2008
	 : From information held centrally, the core-department's financial system records the following expenditure incurred with the businesses listed:
	
		
			  Name  Purpose  Expenditure (£) 
			 Greatrex Associates Executive Management Coaching 2000.00 
			 Paul Sullivan Snooker and Pool — 0 
			 Coffee Republic Sandwich Lunch at Conference 97.88 
			 Bristol and District Retirement Council Retirement Courses 440.00 
			 Cherubs Floral Design Ltd Flowers for Reception, Innovation Centre, Reading 1850.85 
			 Total Horsemanship Ltd Natural Horsemanship Course 240.00

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Leader of the House what expert advisers have been commissioned by her Office since 1997; on what topic each was commissioned; and whether the adviser so appointed made a declaration of political activity in each case.

Chris Bryant: Since May 2007 there have been no expert advisers commissioned by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House. Information prior to 2007 can be provided only at disproportionate costs.
	The Government are committed to publishing an annual list detailing the number and costs of special advisers. Information for 2007-08 was published by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 22 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 99-102WS.

Luxembourg Rail Protocol

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the  (a) purpose and  (b) content of the Luxembourg Rail Protocol to the 2001 Cape Town Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport has assessed the Rail Protocol to the 2001 Cape Town Convention on International Interests: Mobile Equipment, including undertaking both formal and informal consultations of the UK's principal rolling stock companies (ROSCOs) and rail industry. We have concluded that there is no advantage to the UK in ratifying the Protocol.

Departmental Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's  (a) pre Main Gate and  (b) post Main Gate (i) category A, (ii) category B and (iii) category C procurement projects were as at 31 March in each year since 2002.

Quentin Davies: Details of the Department's pre Main Gate and post Main Gate category A, B and C equipment procurement projects at 31 March 2002, 2003 and 2004 are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	I will place a list of the Department's category A, B and C post Initial Gate Pre Main Gate and post Main Gate pre In Service Date equipment procurement projects for years ending 31 March 2005 to 2008 in the Library of the House.

Iraq and Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the deployment of armed forces to  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan has cost in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) each year since 2003-04; and what projection he has made of the cost in 2009-10.

John Hutton: The audited net additional cost to the MOD for the cost of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2003-04 to 2007-08 are set out as follows:
	
		
			  Iraq 
			  £ million 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Resource Costs 1,051 747 798 787 1,055 
			 Capital Costs 260 163 160 169 402 
			 Total 1,311 910 958 956 1,457 
		
	
	
		
			  Afghanistan 
			  £ million 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Resource Costs 36 58 148 560 1,071 
			 Capital Costs 10 9 51 178 433 
			 Total 46 67 199 738 1,504 
		
	
	The net additional cost of operations are volatile. Nevertheless, our current forecast of costs in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2008-09 are set out in our winter supplementary estimates as follows:
	
		
			  Iraq, 2008-09 
			   £ million 
			 Resource Costs 1,141 
			 Capital Costs 256 
			 Total 1,379 
		
	
	
		
			  Afghanistan, 2008-09 
			   £ million 
			 Resource Costs 1,511 
			 Capital Costs 807 
			 Total 2,318 
		
	
	Our final estimate for 2008-09 will be set out in the spring supplementary estimates. Our forecast costs for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for 2009-10 will be published in the main estimates in spring 2009.

Deprived Communities

Ian McCartney: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment he has made of the results of his Department's recent research on levels of aspiration in deprived communities; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The Aspirations research, published jointly by the Social Exclusion Taskforce, DCSF and CLG in December 2008, is highly significant and directly informs the new Inspiring Communities programme announced in the New Opportunities White Paper yesterday.
	Aspirations have an important influence on young people's educational attainment. This research found that young people in some deprived areas are less likely to develop high aspirations. These areas often feature close knit social networks; stable populations and isolation from diverse economic opportunities. Government have made great progress in deprived areas but pessimistic attitudes can be formed over generations and are hard to shift.
	The Government are investing £10.1 million in a new Inspiring Communities campaign, bringing together local businesses, schools, parents and the wider community to find innovative ways to inspire young people and tackle attitudinal barriers.

Social Mobility and Economic Growth

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment he has made of the effects of the Government's policies on social mobility and economic growth.

Liam Byrne: The recently published Getting on, getting ahead White Paper demonstrated that while social mobility did not increase in the eighties and early nineties, new evidence suggests this might be beginning to change.
	The latest academic research shows there are encouraging signs, with educational results becoming less dependent on a person's social background, more young people from low income backgrounds going to university and evidence that mobility in work is starting to rise.
	The New Opportunities White Paper sets out how the Government will continue to address the key drivers of social mobility.

Third Sector

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment he has made of the cost-effectiveness of Government policies designed to build capacity in the third sector.

Kevin Brennan: The Government invests in building the capacity of which the third sector through Capacitybuilders and Futurebuilders; both have commissioned independent evaluations of their programmes. The National Audit Office has also been investigating the effectiveness, impact and value for money of government investment in building the capacity of the third sector, and plans to report early this year.

Government Statistics

Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of procedures to prevent the premature release of Government statistics.

Kevin Brennan: Responsibility for setting and assessing good practice regarding the release of official statistics (other than pre-release access to official statistics in their final form) rests with the UK Statistics Authority. The Authority has just published its Code of Practice for Statistics, on which it consulted last year. The Government will implement the Code as it applies to the statistics it produces and uses, and will take seriously any breaches of the Code.

Charities: Government Assistance

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps the Government is taking to support charities in the economic downturn.

Kevin Brennan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for South-West Norfolk (Christopher Fraser) and the hon. Member for Kettering (Mr. Hollobone) to PQs 246147 and 246535.

Departmental Video Recordings

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the answer of 13 October 2008,  Official Report, column 949W, on departmental recordings, if he will list the names of external film production companies that have been used by the Central Office of Information in the last 12 months.

Liam Byrne: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Central Office of Information. I have asked the chief executive to reply.
	 Letter from Alan Bishop, dated December 2008:
	As Chief Executive of the Central Office of Information (COI), I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, with reference to the Answer of 13 October 2008, Official Report, column 949W, on departmental recordings, if he will list the names of external film production companies that have been used by the Central Office of Information in the last 12 months. (241898)
	These are listed below.
	Aardman Animations Limited
	Academy Productions
	Another Film Company
	Bermuda Shorts Limited
	Cheerful Scout
	Gorgeous Enterprises Limited
	Independent Films Limited
	Jacaranda Productions Limited
	Jack Morton Worldwide
	Mustard
	New Moon
	Nexus Productions Limited
	Partizan Lab
	Passion Pictures Limited
	Pretzel Films Limited
	Pukka Films Limited
	Rogue Films Limited
	RSA Films Limited
	Serious Pictures Film Company Limited
	Stink Limited
	The Edge Picture Company
	Tomboy Films Limited
	U-Dox Creative Agency
	Straker Films
	Defeatures
	Radley Yelder
	Feel Films
	Underdog Media
	Insight News Television Limited
	Story House Films Limited
	Moon Films Limited
	Spank Corporation
	Sledge Limited
	Moxie Pictures
	Th1ng
	Tandem Films
	Shine Limited
	Wonky Films
	Knucklehead Limited
	Addiction
	Duke
	Plunge Films

Government Communication Network

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies (i) are classified as Government communicators and (ii) have access to the Government Communication Network.

Liam Byrne: The Cabinet Office does not classify staff as Government communicators. Its central communications unit currently includes 28.4 full-time equivalent professional communications staff, with a further eight employed in cross-Government roles in the Government Communication team.
	Any civil servant who works in a communication role can register on-line as an individual to gain access to GCN and the resources it provides through its web site. The Cabinet Office recruits to communication roles against GCN professional competences; it also encourages staff in these roles register for GCN to build their professional skills and experience and so help to improve Government communication.

Liam Byrne

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will place in the Library a copy of the document Working with Liam Byrne produced for civil servants in the Cabinet Office.

Liam Byrne: It is not normal practice to publish internal working documents. But I am always happy to update the right hon. Member personally on matters of significance.

Non-profit Making Associations

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment his Department has made of the effects on the third sector of his Department's strategy for commissioning public services.

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment he has made of the effects on the third sector of his Department's strategies for commissioning public services.

Kevin Brennan: Following the Public Administration Select Committee's report on 'Public Services and the Third Sector: Rhetoric and Reality', the Government Response was published on 11 December 2008. This included an assessment of how far the Government's vision of the state and the third sector working together at all levels and as equal partners can bring about real change in our public services. The Government welcomed the Committee's recognition of the capacity of the sector to deliver excellent and innovative public services but also acknowledged the need to build a robust evidence base that supports the case for more public and private investment in the third sector as a delivery partner. This is why, through the Office of the Third Sector, £5 million has been invested in a new third sector research centre, led by Birmingham university, which will collect and disseminate evidence about the true social and economic value of the sector to society. Government are also investing in a four year National Programme for Third Sector Commissioning, which is providing training for up to 3,000 commissioners of public services to ensure they get the best out of working with the third sector.

Voluntary Work

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what recent assessment he has made of the cost effectiveness of his Department's policies on support for volunteering.

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment he has made of the cost-effectiveness of his Department's policies designed to support volunteering.

Kevin Brennan: Over the 2008-11 CSR period the Office of the Third Sector will be investing £150 million in volunteering programmes. This supports a range of programmes including v, GoldStar, Volunteering for All and strategic funding to large national organisations.
	The monitoring of these projects consists of formal monitoring meetings with delivery partners, tracking of volunteering numbers through the Government's Citizenship Survey and where appropriate external programme evaluations.
	In relation to the specific programmes, recent assessments show that v has created 875,000 volunteering opportunities since its launch in 2006, the GoldStar programme has run a programme of activities to promote good practice in volunteering and Volunteering for All has successfully delivered a number of campaigns to promote volunteering to groups at risk of social exclusion.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the reason was for the time taken to reply to the hon. Member for Thurrock's Question 231272 on assistant regional Ministers, tabled on 23 October 2008; and on what date a final draft answer was submitted to him for approval.

Liam Byrne: I have nothing further to add to the answer provided to my hon. Friend on 24 November 2008.

Young People

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many  (a) male and  (b) female 18 year olds there were in each year since 2005; and how many of each there are expected to be in each year to 2015.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated January 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question regarding how many (a) male and (b) female 18-year-olds there were in each year since 2005 and what the Office for National Statistics projects the number of 18-year-olds to be in each year to 2015. (247129)
	The table below shows the United Kingdom population of males and females aged 18 for each year from 2005 to 2015. The figures up to and including 2007 are population estimates. The most recent national population projections, based on the population at the middle of 2006, have been used to provide the estimated population aged 18 from 2008 to 2015.
	
		
			  Population aged 18, United Kingdom, 2005 to 2015 
			  Thousand 
			   Population aged 18 
			   Males  Females 
			  Population estimates   
			 2005 405 385 
			 2006 417 392 
			 2007 412 388 
			
			  Population projections( 1)   
			 2008 417 392 
			 2009 423 396 
			 2010 415 391 
			 2011 403 377 
			 2012 398 372 
			 2013 389 364 
			 2014 386 362 
			 2015 389 365 
			 (1) 2006-based national population projections, ONS

Aimhigher Programme

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which AimHigher projects are focused primarily on primary school pupils; and what the cost of each was in the last 12 months.

David Lammy: Aimhigher projects are delivered through the 44 area-based Aimhigher partnerships of schools, colleges and universities. Partnerships submit plans to the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), summarising the type of activities they intend to undertake. However, they are not required to detail their activities with primary schools separately and do not set out the costs of individual activities.
	From 2004 to 2007, HEFCE supported the 'Professor Fluffy' project based at the University of Liverpool. £274,000 was provided jointly from Aimhigher and HEFCE's own funds. The 'Professor Fluffy' project aims to raise awareness of higher education at an early age. In 2004, Professor Fluffy started a tour of primary schools in Greater Merseyside. In a project called 'Professor Fluffy's Greater Merseyside Primary Roadshow', year five and six pupils take part in a range of activities aimed at raising aspirations and introducing the vocabulary of higher education. The project reaches over 140 primary schools a year in Greater Merseyside of which 30 also participate in a visit into one of the colleges or universities. Professor Fluffy's resources are linked to the key stage 2 national curriculum and include the Professor Fluffy comic book, activity booklet and over 20 curriculum modules, e.g. five modern languages and a variety of STEM subjects. The children, and their parents, are also able to access Professor Fluffy's own interactive website which has had over a million pages viewed over the last couple of years. At the end of the programme each pupil receives a special Professor Fluffy certificate in a 'graduation ceremony' to celebrate their participation, together with their very own Professor Fluffy. In addition to the roadshow and university visits, a teachers' pack, offering five sessions, will be available shortly for purchase by schools. The Professor Fluffy concept and delivery models have been franchised to over 20 partners across the country. So far, Professor Fluffy has visited over 350 primary schools and talked to 30,000 primary pupils and their parents.

Part-time Education

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of changes in the numbers of part-time students from higher education courses over the period of the next higher education funding review.

David Lammy: Numbers of part-time students in England have increased by over 200,000 to some 770,000 in 2006-07 since 1997-98 and we will continue to support increased HE participation in future. Our grant letters to HEFCE set out the expected growth in core fundable students (in full-time equivalent terms), however no distinction between full-time and part-time students is made. Our plans allow for an increase of 30,000 full-time equivalent places by 2009-10 compared with 2007-08.

Attorney-General for Northern Ireland: Public Appointments

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 11 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 267-8W, on the Attorney-General for Northern Ireland: public appointments, what consultations his Department had in respect of arrangements for the appointment of the Attorney General for Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: The appointment of the Attorney-General for Northern Ireland is a matter for the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.

Departmental Drinking Water

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with reference to the answer of 24 November 2008,  Official Report, column 881W, on departmental hospitality, which companies provided the bottled water.

Shaun Woodward: The companies that provided bottled water were as follows:
	Antrim Hills Spring Water,
	Ballygowan;
	Classic Mineral Water.

Inquiries

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which legal firms have worked on the Billy Wright Inquiry; for what periods; who each firm represented; how much his Department has spent on legal fees for the Inquiry; how much has been spent in the Inquiry in each month since it was established; and when the Inquiry is expect to report.

Shaun Woodward: I am advised by the Billy Wright Inquiry that the following legal firms have worked on it:
	
		
			  Legal firm  Period of engagement  Representation 
			 Cleaver Fulton and Rankin Solicitors January 2006 Legal services to the Inquiry 
			 John McAtamney and Co April 2008(1) David Wright 
			 Crown Solicitors Office February 2005(1) A number of prison governors and officers 
			 Treasury Solicitors April 2007(1) Northern Ireland Prison Service, and the Northern Ireland Office 
			 McCartan Turkington Breen Solicitors March 2007(1) Police Service of Northern Ireland 
			 Diamond Heron Solicitors January 2005(1) Prison Officers Association 
			 (1) To date. 
		
	
	In accordance with the Billy Wright Inquiry's published funding protocol, witnesses to the Inquiry are also entitled to reasonable legal advice at the Inquiry's expense and a number of firms have represented witnesses:
	
		
			  Legal firm  Period of engagement 
			 Bircham Dyson Bell Solicitors September 2008 
			 Campbell and Caher Solicitors March 2006 
			 Edwards and Co Solicitors December 2006 
			 Ferguson and Co Solicitors February 2007 
			 Hart Coyle Collins Solicitors August 2007 
			 John J Rice and Company April 2007 
			 McBurney and Company Solicitors April 2008 
			 Madden and Finucane Solicitors September 2007 
			 O'Rorke McDonald and Tweed Solicitors March 2006 
			 Reid Black and Co Solicitors July 2005 
			 Trevor Smyth and Co Solicitors August 2006 to April 2007 
			 Corker Binning Solicitors November 2007 
			 Donnelly and Wall Solicitors November 2008 
			 McConnell Kelly and Co Solicitors June 2005 
			 Morrison and Broderick Solicitors September 2006 
			 S.C. Connolly Solicitors November 2007 
		
	
	Some of these firms have represented only anonymous witnesses, some have represented only witnesses seen in public, and some have represented both. For security (to preserve anonymity) and public interest reasons (not all the witnesses of either type have yet been called to give evidence) it is not felt appropriate to release even the names of the 'public' witnesses before the end of the hearings. Once witnesses are called to give oral evidence the name of their legal representative is published on the Inquiry website.
	The total cost incurred by the Billy Wright Inquiry for legal fees is £6.89 million.
	The monthly spend of the Inquiry is as follows:
	
		
			  Total resource 
			  £000 
			   2008-09  2007-08  2006-07  2005-06  2004-05 
			 April -222 421 191 27 — 
			 May 1,304 416 145 114 — 
			 June 776 955 292 239 — 
			 July 843 1,608 185 105 — 
			 August 770 428 232 120 — 
			 September 265 1,011 254 167 — 
			 October 811 -264 265 209 — 
			 November 1,138 751 314 151 — 
			 December — 566 332 271 — 
			 January — 491 442 168 — 
			 February — 777 483 40 1 
			 March — 1,444 1,303 651 58 
			 Total 5,685 8,604 4,438 2,262 59 
		
	
	
		
			  Total capital 
			  £000 
			   2008-09  2007-08  2006-07  2005-06 
			 April 0 0 0 0 
			 May 0 0 0 29 
			 June 0 0 0 1 
			 July 0 122 0 2 
			 August 0 0 0 -2 
			 September 0 0 0 0 
			 October 0 -122 0 0 
			 November 0 0 0 3 
			 December — 0 0 -3 
			 January — 0 0 2 
			 February — 0 0 0 
			 March — 266 0 5 
			 Total 0 266 0 37 
		
	
	The Inquiry is expected to report by March 2010.

Departmental Correspondence

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many  (a) letters and  (b) e-mails received by his Department had not been responded to as at 15 December 2008.

Patrick McFadden: The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members/peers correspondence. Information relating to 2008 will be published as soon as it has been collated. The report for 2007 was published on 20 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 71-74WS. Reports for earlier years are available in the Libraries of the House.
	In respect of e-mails, this Department will not be able to provide the information without incurring disproportionate cost. To do so would require gathering information from every official in the Department.

Departmental Pay

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will make it his policy to ensure that temporary and permanent employees at the same grade and at an hourly rate by his Department are paid at the same rate.

Patrick McFadden: Staff employed by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) on short term contracts are paid under the same pay systems that apply to permanent staff in BERR. They are salaried workers and are not paid at an hourly rate.

Departmental Pay

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much has been allocated for bonuses for staff within his Department in 2008-09.

Patrick McFadden: The Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform awards non-consolidated bonuses in two formats:
	1. Special bonuses to recognise performance in particularly demanding tasks or situations. Staff in receipt of a special bonus may also receive an annual performance award.
	2. Annual performance awards paid to highly successful performers as part of the annual pay award.
	Based on the information available total amount spent on Annual performance awards in 2008-09 is £2,240,592. Information on special bonuses paid in 2008-09 is not yet available, however the maximum expenditure is 0.4 per cent. of pay bill, in 2007-08 this was approximately £693,386.
	This figure includes staff who were transferred from BERR to DECC as part of the October 2008 Machinery of Government changes as these staff received a BERR pay award in 2008.

Japan: Trade

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps the Government is taking to promote trade between Japan and the United Kingdom.

Gareth Thomas: Through UK Trade and Investment, the Government support initiatives and provide services across a range of sectors for UK companies seeking to do business in Japan, with a clear focus on activity that delivers maximum added value for business and the UK economy.

Woolworths

Jamie Reed: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what options his Department has to assist Woolworths in the current economic climate; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The company is in administration and the administrators are in charge. We have been closely following the administrators' efforts to find purchasers for Woolworths' stores and its wholesale business though neither Woolworths' management nor its administrators have requested any government assistance.
	The Insolvency Service is doing all it can to get payments to those employees made redundant as soon as possible.

Children: Day Care

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to his Statement of 24 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 489-504, on the Pre-Budget Report, what form the proposed trials of systems to make childcare payments more closely reflect childcare costs are to take; where and when they are planned to take place; and when the results will be made available.

Stephen Timms: New Opportunities, published on 13 January 2009, provides further details on the pilots to make child care payments that more closely reflect child care costs at the time they are incurred. The document also announces the forthcoming publication of a refresh to the 10-year child care strategy, which will contain additional information on the pilots.

Cox Review

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) total and  (b) staffing cost of the Cox Review of creativity in business was.

Angela Eagle: The cost of the design, printing and distribution of the report of the Cox Review of Creativity in Business, excluding internal staffing costs, was £34,420. half of which was met by the then Department of Trade and Industry. Any Treasury internal staffing costs associated with the Review formed part of general departmental staff costs and are not therefore available separately.

Private Finance Initiative

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the total capital value of all  (a) operational and  (b) non-operational signed private finance initiative projects is for (i) Government departments, (ii) local authorities, (iii) the NHS, (iv) police authorities and (v) Government agencies;
	(2)  how many signed private finance initiative projects have become operational since 1997.

Angela Eagle: The full list of all signed PFI projects can be found on HM Treasury's website at:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/ppp_pfi_stats.htm.
	For each PFI project, this list details the project name, the capital value, the constituency, the procuring authority and the annual unitary charge that needs to be paid over the life of the contract.

Welfare Tax Credits

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  in how many and what proportion of disputed tax credit cases the liabilities were  (a) wholly and  (b) partly written off in each month since April 2003;
	(2)  Exchequer how many and what proportion of tax credit claims were disputed in each month between April 2003 and April 2008.

Stephen Timms: The Tax Credit Office does not separately record whether an overpayment is written off in part or in full.
	For information up to and including 2007-08, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 13 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 1010-11W.
	The corresponding information for October and November 2008 is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Households 
			  2008  Number of newly disputed overpayments 
			 October 20,900 
			 November 15,700

Airwave Service

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Airwave handsets issued to his Department's Fraud Investigation Service have been lost in each year since their introduction; and how many handsets issued to the Service have been disabled by the service provider through  (a) loss,  (b) breakage and  (c) other reasons in each such year.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information is as follows:
	 (a) The Airwave service went live in the DWP in August 2007, and in the 2007-08 year, one radio was lost and disabled. Since then no radios have been lost.
	 (b) There have been no breakages to radio terminals that have necessitated a terminal to be disabled.
	 (c) In one or two instances the radios fitted to surveillance vehicles can be difficult to remove, so when these vehicles are in for routine mechanical servicing the radios are temporarily disabled, as a precaution, for the duration of the service.

Cold Weather Payments: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of households in  (a) Hemel Hempstead,  (b) Hertfordshire and  (c) the UK which will be eligible for cold weather payments if the temperature falls below the level which triggers payment of allowance in 2008-09.

Kitty Ussher: The temperature criterion for cold weather payments is that the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0° C or below over seven consecutive days at the weather station linked to the customer's postcode.
	The estimated number of benefit units(1) eligible for cold weather payments is not available by local authority, parliamentary constituency or county, but only by weather station.
	The estimated number of benefit units(1) eligible for cold weather payments in Great Britain in 2008-09 if the temperature criterion is met is 4.1 million.
	(1)( )Cold weather payments are made to benefit units rather than households. For example, a disabled adult on Income Support living with his mother on Pension Credit counts as two benefit units but would be thought of as one household.
	 Notes:
	1. The estimate is the one most recently available, but it is only an estimate.
	2. Estimates of the number of benefit units eligible for Cold Weather Payments are not available by Parliamentary Constituency or County.
	3. Information regarding Cold Weather Payments in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland office. estimates of the number of households eligible for cold Weather Payments are not available.
	 Source:
	Analysis of a scan of benefit recipients eligible for cold weather payments taken at the end of October 2008.

Income Support: Ex-servicemen

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 16 December 2008,  Official Report, column 616W, on income support: ex-servicemen, what proportion of the weekly payments of compensation schemes are disregarded; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 12 January 2009
	Normally for the income-related benefits, all income is taken into account, with disregards available only in specific circumstances.
	Payments to ex-servicemen attract a disregard of £10 when calculating entitlement to income support and the other income-related benefits.
	This disregard, which gives war pensioners an advantage over other disabled groups, is paid in recognition of the special nature of these payments.

Allotments

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the statement by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State of 22 July 2008,  Official Report, column 236WH, on allotments, if she will make it her policy to extend the legislative protections which prevent allotments from being classified as previously developed land to residential gardens.

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what timetable she has set for her Department's review of the practice known as garden grabbing; and whether she plans to appoint an independent panel to conduct the review.

John Healey: As I confirmed to the House during the passage of the Planning Act, on 24 November 2009,  Official Report, column 532, we are committed to a review of the evidence on the extent of development on back gardens to establish whether or not there is a clear and genuine problem. If there is a problem, we will consider action to remedy the situation, only if it would not undermine our objectives on housing.
	The terms of the review are due to be decided shortly, and we will publish the information.

Community Relations

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many local authorities have set up the multi-agency tension monitoring groups referred to in the document, "Guidance for local authorities on community cohesion, contingency planning and tension monitoring", published in May 2008; what the estimated running cost will be of such monitoring groups is; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how many local authorities have submitted to their Government Office monthly tension monitoring reports referred to in paragraph 66 of the publication, "Guidance for local authorities on community cohesion, contingency planning and tension monitoring", published in May 2008; and what use the Government make of these monthly reports;
	(3)  what safeguards exist to prevent people from misusing the tension monitoring groups referred to in the report, "Guidance for local authorities on community cohesion, contingency planning and tension monitorin", published in May 2008, in relation to local grievances;
	(4)  what procedures will exist to enable individuals to appeal against inaccurate data about themselves gathered under the tension monitoring arrangements referred to in the report, "Guidance for local authorities on community cohesion, contingency planning and tension monitoring", published in May 2008.

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Beckenham of 13 October 2008,  Official Report, column 983W, on local authorities: surveillance, which local authorities are now undertaking tension monitoring according to records held by her Department.

Sadiq Khan: Communities and Local Government does not hold a record of the number of local authorities who have set up multi-agency monitoring groups. Tension monitoring and contingency planning is about local partnership working and it is for local authorities to determine the systems they have in place and budget allocation needed to ensure they are able to effectively monitor tensions in their local areas.
	The number of local authorities that submit monthly tension monitoring reports can vary each month. Communities and Local Government is therefore unable to keep a consistent record of the number of local authorities who submit monthly tension monitoring returns. We use the monthly reports to identify challenges to cohesion and to identify possible trends; this information is used to inform our strategy for supporting local authorities.
	All contributors to the tension monitoring process are required to adhere to the principles of data collection set out in the Data Protection Act 1998. Each organisation that makes a contribution to tension monitoring should have local information sharing protocols in place.
	The personal details of individual details are not required for tension monitoring reports. If an individual was mentioned it would be in the context of any civil arrangements brought by the local authority or as a result of any criminal procedures through the police/courts.

Eco-Towns: Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 3 November 2008,  Official Report, column 122W, on eco-towns, how much funding has been  (a) provided to date and  (b) committed for the future to the Town and Country Planning Association in relation to work on eco-towns; and for what purposes.

Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 25 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1266W. This set out details about the funding and work undertaken by the Town and Country Planning Association in relation to the eco-towns programme.

Fires

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many electrical fires have occurred in newly rewired or newly built properties in England in each of the last five years.  [Official Report, 27 February 2009, Vol. 488, c. 3MC.]

Sadiq Khan: Fire and rescue services in England do not collect information on property construction dates or a history of electrical maintenance in buildings when attending fires. Information on the number of building fires started by electrics is available in the following table. The latest statistics available are for 2007.
	
		
			  Fires started by electrical appliances/wiring in buildings, by source of ignition, England, 2003-07( 1) 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			  Country and source of ignition  
			 England 15,226 79,502 75,983 72,451 67,709 
			   
			 Cooking appliances 1,386 1,441 1,485 1,502 1,419 
			 Electric space heater 140 136 126 155 190 
			 Plugs 56 55 76 96 81 
			 Sockets and switches 308 316 362 371 387 
			 Leads to appliances 495 523 434 429 380 
			 Wire and cable 3,276 3,761 3,729 3,914 3,713 
			 Washing machine 1,075 1,028 992 910 815 
			 Dishwasher 443 427 370 351 381 
			 Refrigerator 628 687 633 559 565 
			 Tumble and spin driers 853 1,021 999 886 1,005 
			 Lighting 2,417 2,788 2,784 2,780 2,655 
			 Blanket or bedwarmer 252 181 165 133 111 
			 Television 425 524 455 419 438 
			 Iron 60 39 77 85 100 
			 AV, VDU or computer 246 271 243 247 232 
			 Other electrical 3,166 2,848 2,832 2,943 2,773 
			 (1) Provisional

Local Government: Data Protection

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate her Department has made of numbers of data losses by local authorities in the last 12 months.

Sadiq Khan: This is a matter for individual local authorities who, like all public sector organisations are required to comply with data protection legislation.
	The Local Government Association (LGA) have recently published "Data Handling Guidelines for Local Government" to complement the Central Government Data Handling Guidelines published by the Cabinet Office. We welcome the LGA guidelines and my officials were consulted on their publication and are available online at:
	http://www.idea.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=9040133

Non-Domestic Rates: Licensed Premises

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 28 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 887-88W, on non-domestic rates: valuation, what steps  (a) her Department and  (b) the Valuation Office Agency has taken to raise awareness amongst the licensees of licensed premises of the change of policy on material changes of circumstances arising from the prohibition of smoking on licensed premises.

John Healey: On 11 November 2008 I personally wrote to the main trade associations representing public house operators and occupiers to help ensure that their members are clear about the change in approach to the rating assessments for pubs following the introduction of the smoking ban.
	The chief executive's office of the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) was in direct contact concerning this issue with representatives of those same trade associations back in June—very shortly after receipt of the legal advice which prompted the change of view on the validity of proposals to reduce rating assessments on account of the ban.
	The VOA was in regular contact with the various representatives and in particular the rating advisor to the British Beer and Pub Association throughout the summer.
	Staff in VOA local offices made every effort to contact those pubs who had made proposals earlier on, which were then treated as invalid, to tell them about the change of view. Various members of staff made presentations to local rating forums/trade groups in order to heighten awareness.
	An article has recently been published in the  Morning Advertiser (a widely read licensed trade magazine)—primarily this provides answers to questions about the 2010 rating revaluation, but also the opportunity was taken to further clarify the smoking ban issue.

Place Surveys

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with what frequency local authorities are required to conduct place surveys, broken down by authority  (a) type and  (b) tier; and what estimate she has made of the average cost of a survey to a local authority.

John Healey: The Place Survey will be conducted once every two years in every local authority area in England, regardless of authority type or tier. Fieldwork for the 2008 Place Survey took place between September and December 2008. The next Place Survey is therefore due to take place in the autumn of 2010.
	Further information, including the timetable for the Place Survey, can be found at the Communities and Local Government website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/local government/placesurveymanual0809.
	The latest estimate of the cost to a local authority of conducting a single years Place Survey puts the figure at £15,000. This estimate takes into account a range of costs related to survey administration including staffing, printing and postage costs.

Planning Obligations

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of local authorities who have access to Section 106 monies for the purpose of building social housing which have not yet spent this money; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: Information on the number and value of agreed planning obligations for affordable housing by each local authority is not collected centrally. However, the Department for Communities and Local Government has produced research reports into the value of planning obligations in England for 2003-04 and 2005-06 based on a sample of authorities across the country. These reports are available on the Department's website. New research covering 2007-08 has been commissioned and will be published in the summer.
	The findings estimate the total value of affordable housing agreed using planning obligations has risen from around £1.2 billion in 2003-04 to £2 billion in 2005-06. Of this amount for 2005-06 £211.5 million was estimated to be attributed to agreed direct payments and the remainder account for in-kind payments. The value of affordable housing delivered in 2005-06 was estimated at £1.4 billion. The estimated value of affordable housing delivered against agreements should be considered in context, as not all of the permissions to which the agreements are attached will be implemented and some others will be renegotiated.
	The Government are clear that local authorities should be open and accountable over the collection and use of s106 monies. We will explore whether more can be done to strengthen this local accountability through the Empowerment White Paper published in July 2008.

Regional Planning and Development: South East

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people have responded to the South East Plan proposals  (a) via the website of the Government Office for the South East and  (b) via the official consultation form.

Sadiq Khan: The Government office for the south east is still in the process of logging responses. The following is an approximation:
	 (a) People responding via the website: 146
	 (b) People responding via the official form: 3,673.
	In addition we have received 4,845 by other methods. All will be considered carefully.

Regional Planning and Development: South East

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many responses to the South East Plan have been received from addresses in the Guildford Borough Council area.

Sadiq Khan: We have so far identified over 4,800 responses from addresses in the Guildford borough council area. My officials need to do further work to confirm all final numbers.

Social Services: Coastal Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department has taken on the Communities and Local Government Committee's recommendation in its Second Report of Session 2006-07, on coastal towns, HC 351, that the Government needs to take action to reduce the number of out-of-area placements and to ensure that when children are placed out of their local area there is improved communication between authorities.

Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
	The Committee's Report on coastal towns raised the important issue of the difficulties that can arise when looked-after children are placed away from their home area. We are determined that every looked-after child must be provided with the appropriate support by the local authorities responsible for their care.
	The Children and Young Persons Act 2008 recently received Royal Assent and section 8 sets out the considerations that local authorities must have regard to when they are considering making a placement for a looked-after child. This includes giving first consideration as far as is reasonably practicable to a placement being near a child's home and within the local authority's area. We will be issuing regulations and statutory guidance on section 8 which will provide more detail about the responsibilities of placing authorities. This will include that where children have to be placed at a distance from their home areas, the placement is the most suitable to meet their needs; and that relevant information about the child is shared with the local authority in the area where the child has been placed. Furthermore, section 16 of the Act reaffirms local authority responsibilities to ensure visits to looked-after children including those placed out of authority and a long way from their homes.

Urban Areas: Research

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 13 October 2008,  Official Report, column 990W, on urban areas: research, what account her Department has taken of proposals for polycentric mega-city regions in the formulation of its policy.

John Healey: The findings of the POLYNET Interreg 11B project have helped to further my Department's understanding of the dynamic and complex economic interrelationships between cities and city-regions, and their role in driving economic growth and prosperity. The study formed part of the evidence base that influenced reforms proposed in the Review of Sub-National Economic Development and Regeneration.

Waste Disposal

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 29 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1155W, on waste disposal, what  (a) advice and  (b) guidance has been issued to local authorities by (i) her Department and (ii) the Audit Commission on achieving efficiency savings by moving to alternate weekly collections of household waste.

John Healey: No advice or guidance has been issued to local authorities by the Department or the Audit Commission that specifically deals with the achievement of efficiency gains by moving to alternate weekly collections of household waste. The Department has issued general guidance to councils on the measurement of efficiencies; the current version of this guidance is available at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/local government/reportingvfmguide

Alcohol Disorder Zones

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Government have spent on advertising costs and producing information material on alcohol disorder zones.

Jacqui Smith: The Home Office has spent a total of £9,985 producing the "Alcohol Disorder Zones A short Guide to Setting up and Managing ADZs". This includes the editing and proof reading costs as well as the cost of printing hard copies of the guidance. No advertising costs have been incurred in respect of ADZs.
	No direct costs were incurred in respect of the original version of the ADZ Guidance produced earlier in 2008. The original guidance was produced by a small number of officials who have worked on this policy area, in addition to other duties. It is not possible to quantify the cost or the time that has been spent working and consulting on this policy area.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were proceeded against at magistrates' courts for the offence of sale of alcohol to a drunken person under section 141 of the Licensing Act 2003 in 2007; how many were found guilty of the offence in all courts; and how many were issued with a penalty notice for disorder for the offence, broken down by police force area.

Jacqui Smith: Data showing the number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty of all courts for the offence sale of alcohol to a drunken person under section 141 of the Licensing Act 2003, England and Wales broken down by police force area in 2007 can be viewed in table 1.
	The number of Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs) issued for the offence of sale of alcohol to a drunken person under section 141 of the Licensing Act 2003, England and Wales, also broken down by police force area in 2007, can be viewed in table 2.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for the offence of sale of alcohol to a drunken person under section 141 of the 2003 Licensing Act, England and Wales, broken down by police force area, 2007( 1,2,3) 
			  Force  Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 Cheshire 1 — 
			 Cleveland 1 — 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2 — 
			 Durham 1 1 
			 South Yorkshire 2 — 
			 England and Wales 7 1 
			 (1 )The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Only police force areas (PFAs) with data have been included in the table—if a PFA has not been included assume nil data.  Source:  E and A Unit—Office for Criminal Justice Reform 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs) issued for sale of alcohol to a drunken person under section 141 of the 2003 Licensing Act, England and Wales, broken down by police force area, 2007( 1,2) 
			  Force  PNDs issued 
			 Avon and Somerset 1 
			 Cambridgeshire 2 
			 Cleveland 4 
			 Cumbria 1 
			 Derbyshire 1 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2 
			 Essex 1 
			 Greater Manchester 7 
			 Hampshire 3 
			 Humberside 1 
			 Kent 4 
			 Lancashire 6 
			 Leicestershire 4 
			 Merseyside 8 
			 Metropolitan Police 18 
			 Norfolk 1 
			 Northumbria 2 
			 Nottinghamshire 1 
			 Staffordshire 2 
			 Suffolk 2 
			 Sussex 2 
			 Thames Valley 2 
			 West Mercia 3 
			 West Yorkshire 1 
			 North Wales 1 
			 South Wales 1 
			 England and Wales 81 
			 (1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (2) Only police force areas (PFAs) with data have been included in the table—if a PFA has not been included assume nil data.  Source: E and A Unit—Office for Criminal Justice Reform

Alcoholic Drinks: Public Places

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer to the right hon. Member for Haltemprice and Howden of 20 March 2008,  Official Report, column 1275W, on alcoholic drinks: enforcement, how many people were  (a) prosecuted,  (b) convicted and  (c) given a level two fine for the offence of failing to comply with a requirement by a constable regarding the consumption of alcohol in a designated public place in 2007.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 18 December 2008
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 16 December 2008,  Official Report, columns 713-14W.

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 19 June 2008,  Official Report, column 1047W, on alcohol: young people, if she will provide figures for 2007 on  (a) prosecutions,  (b) convictions and  (c) penalty notices for disorder issued.

Jacqui Smith: Information on the number of persons who were proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences relating to purchase of alcohol by a person aged under 18 years in England and Wales in 2007 can be viewed in the following table.
	In addition there were 158 Penalty Notices for Disorder issued to youths aged 16 to 17 for the offence of "Buying or attempting to buy alcohol by a person under 18" (section 149(1), Licensing Act 2003 (c.17) for 2007 in England and Wales. The offence was added to the Scheme in April 2004 and attracts a penalty of £50.
	
		
			  The number of persons who were proceeded against at magistrates' courts and found guilty at all courts for offences relating to purchase of alcohol by a person aged under 18 years in England and Wales, 2007( 1,2,3) 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 2007 5 4 
			 (1) Data is on the principal offence basis. (2) Data includes the following statutes and corresponding offence descriptions : Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 Schedule (Sec 3) para 4(2). Licensing Act 1964 Sec 169(2). Person under 18 buying or attempting to buy or consuming intoxicating liquor. Person under 18 buying or consuming intoxicating liquor in Licensed premises. Licensing Act 2003 S. 149(l)(7a) Purchase of alcohol by an individual under 18. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, other agencies, and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their  inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source:  Court proceedings data held by Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Evidence and Analysis Unit

Crime: Victims

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many victims of crime have benefited from the Youth Crime Action Plan in  (a) England and Wales,  (b) the North East,  (c) Tees Valley district and  (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland.

Alan Campbell: The Government are committed to driving down youth crime and keeping the communities, including young people themselves safer and reducing youth victimisation.
	Information on how many victims of crime have benefited from the Youth Crime Action Plan (YCAP) is not available either from the British Crime Survey (BCS) or police recorded crime data as the action plan has only been published for a few months. However, following a recommendation of the independent Smith review of the Home Office crime statistics, the British Crime Survey is being extended to include those aged under 16 years from 2009. This will assist in providing a clearer understanding of youth victimisation. We know that young people are more likely to be victims of other young people, and we are committed to driving down levels of youth victimisation. Through the implementation of the YCAP, we have introduced a new national objective to substantially reduce the number of young victims by 2020.
	As part of YCAP, in October 2008 we announced that five areas across the country have been awarded a share of nearly half a million pounds to undertake pilot work to create the next generation of support services for young victims of crime.
	These areas are Derby, Lambeth, Norfolk, Lewisham and Oxfordshire.
	Also it was announced in September 2008 that £56.5 million of the YCAP money will be used to tackle youth crime across England in 69 local authority areas.
	Each of the 69 areas were being offered £700,000 to implement an intensive package of action over the next three years, with an immediate cash injection of £90,000 available to each local authority in (2008).
	This builds on the excellent work already under way in many local areas across the country and on the Government's track record in investing in children and young people. Measures will include:
	Operation Stay Safe—using safeguarding laws to remove young people at risk from the streets at night;
	street-based teams of youth workers and ex-gang members to tackle groups of young people involved in crime and disorder;
	increased visible police patrols during after-school hours;
	expanding Family Intervention Projects to respond more effectively to families at risk;
	providing positive activities for young people;
	placing youth offending team workers in police stations so that young offenders can be dealt with and directed to the most appropriate service at the earliest opportunity; and
	making young offenders feel the consequences of their actions by expanding reparation during their leisure time, including on Friday and Saturday nights.
	Of the 69 local authorities areas, those in the North East have agreed to deliver the following measures to tackle youth crime in their area:
	 Darlington
	Operation Stay Safe
	Street based teams
	Youth Offending Team in custody suite
	 Durham
	Youth Offending Team in custody suite
	After school patrols
	Family Intervention Programme (FIP)
	 Gateshead
	Street based teams
	Youth Offending Team in custody suite
	Reparation in leisure time
	 Hartlepool
	Street based teams
	Youth Offending Team in custody suite
	Operation Stay Safe
	After school patrols
	Reparation in leisure time
	Family Intervention Programme (FIP)
	Think Family
	 Middlesbrough
	Street based teams
	Youth Offending Team in custody suite
	Reparation in leisure time
	 Newcastle upon Tyne
	Street based teams
	After school patrols
	 North Tyneside
	Youth Offending Team in custody suite
	Family Intervention Programme (FIP)
	 Redcar and Cleveland
	Reparation in leisure time
	Street based teams
	Family Intervention Programme (FIP)
	 South Tyneside
	Street based teams
	 Stockton-on-Tees
	Street based teams
	After school patrols
	Reparation in leisure time
	 Sunderland
	Youth Offending Team in custody suite
	Reparation in leisure time
	Family Intervention Programme (FIP)

Departmental Energy

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to reduce the amount of energy it wastes.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office (including its Executive Agencies) is conscious of the need to minimise energy consumption. Our new facilities management contractors provide proactive energy management services including the collection of better quality and more timely data.
	We have also begun working with the Carbon Trust on a Carbon Management project with a view to surveying our larger buildings across the estate and implementing further energy saving measures.
	The Home Office has already taken some steps in many of its larger buildings to use energy more efficiently. For example we have shortened the operating hours of our cooling and heating plant, reduced the switch on periods of the motion detector lighting and replaced inefficient lamps.

Deportation: Sudan

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the Statement by Lord West of Spithead on 9 July 2008,  Official Report, House of Lords, column 750, whether Mr. Abdulmajid Hassan Ismail has been deported to Sudan; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: Any request for information regarding individual cases is treated as being confidential by the UK Border Agency and is not normally disclosed to third parties. This is, of course, unless they are authorised representatives of the applicant. This is not a question of secrecy for its own sake, but simply a matter of protecting the privacy of the individual.

Entry Clearances: Internet

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she has taken to facilitate for visa applications online.

Phil Woolas: An online application facility, known as Visa4UK, is provided by the UK Border Agency for visa applicants in 149 countries.

Genetics: Databases

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many people aged under 16 years have a profile on the National DNA Database; and of these how many have a conviction recorded on the police national computer;
	(2)  how many people aged under 10 years have a profile on the National DNA Database; and of these how many have a conviction recorded on the police national computer.

Jacqui Smith: At 30 September 2008, there were 136,709 subject profiles on the National DNA Database (NDNAD) from persons currently aged under 16 submitted by police forces in England and Wales. The estimated number of individuals represented on the NDNAD is lower than the number of subject profiles as some profiles are replicates. The subject profile replication rate is currently calculated as 13.3 per cent. The estimated number of individuals aged under 16 is 118,527.
	The NDNAD does not hold information on criminal histories such as subsequent charges, cautions or convictions; this information is held on the police national computer (PNC). Information on the number of young persons aged under 16 who have a profile on the NDNAD and who have a conviction is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, some information is available on the number of persons aged under 18 on the NDNAD who have a conviction. This was obtained from the NDNAD and the PNC on 9-10 April 2008. The NDNAD data indicates that, on 10 April 2008, there were 349,934 subject sample profiles relating to persons aged 10 to 17 on it. Taking the replication rate into account, it is estimated that the 349,934 profiles are equivalent to 303,393 persons aged 10 to 17. Data obtained from the PNC on 9-10 April indicates that, of those estimated 303,393 persons, 264,297 (87.1 per cent.) had a conviction, caution, reprimand or had received a final warning and 39,095 (12.8 per cent.) had not been convicted, cautioned, received a final warning/reprimand and had no charge pending against them.
	At 30 September 2008, there were 70 subject profiles on the NDNAD from children currently aged under 10 submitted by police forces in England and Wales. The profile replication rate is not likely to apply to children aged under 10 as, in England and Wales, they are below the age of criminal responsibility and they cannot be arrested, prosecuted or convicted. Samples may only be taken from them with the consent of a parent or guardian.
	On 16 December 2008 I announced that the Government would take immediate steps to remove the DNA profiles of children aged under 10 from the NDNAD.

Genetics: Databases

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 27 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 676-7W, on genetics: databases, if she will break down the information given by police force area.

Jacqui Smith: Numbers of profiles added to the National DNA Database (NDNAD) where the person concerned was under 18 (regardless of their current age), are shown in table 1. Numbers of profiles added to the NDNAD where the person concerned is currently under 18 are shown in table 2. Numbers of profiles added to the NDNAD where the person concerned was under 18 at the time the profile was loaded but is now over 18 are shown in table 3.
	The figures provide a snapshot of the numbers added to the NDNAD by police forces in England and Wales as at 26 November 2008. In each table the numbers are broken down by gender and the police force which added the profile.
	'Unassigned' means that the police representative did not complete the section of the form referring to the person's gender.
	The number of profiles on the NDNAD is not the same as the number of individuals as a profile may be a replicate, that is, a profile may have been loaded on more than one occasion. This can occur if a person gives a different name, or different version of their name on separate arrests, or if a profile is upgraded. The current replication rate for the whole NDNAD is 13.3 per cent.
	The replication rate for profiles added by particular police forces may vary from this. Therefore a figure is given in each table for the estimated number of individuals on the NDNAD added by English and Welsh forces, but figures are not given for the estimated number of individuals added by each police force.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			  Force  Gender  Total subject  profile count 
			 Avon and Somerset Female 5,747 
			  Male 15,794 
			  Unassigned 408 
			
			 Bedfordshire Female 2,760 
			  Male 7,095 
			  Unassigned 227 
			
			 British Transport Female 1,609 
			  Male 8,120 
			  Unassigned 199 
			
			 Cambridgeshire Female 3,702 
			  Male 9,156 
			  Unassigned 11 
			
			 Cheshire Female 4,662 
			  Male 13,243 
			  Unassigned 400 
			
			 City of London Female 171 
			  Male 1,084 
			  Unassigned 2 
			
			 Cleveland Female 3,712 
			  Male 9,886 
			  Unassigned 62 
			
			 Cumbria Female 2,957 
			  Male 8,085 
			  Unassigned 67 
			
			 Derbyshire Female 5,491 
			  Male 15,042 
			  Unassigned 191 
			
			 Devon and Cornwall Female 6,957 
			  Male 18,122 
			  Unassigned 89 
			
			 Dorset Female 3,126 
			  Male 8,269 
			  Unassigned 26 
			
			 Durham Female 3,927 
			  Male 10,650 
			  Unassigned 6 
			
			 Dyfed-Powys Female 2,878 
			  Male 7,980 
			  Unassigned 102 
			
			 Essex Female 9,356 
			  Male 23,971 
			  Unassigned 152 
			
			 Gloucestershire Female 3,086 
			  Male 7,661 
			  Unassigned 136 
			
			 Greater Manchester Female 16,588 
			  Male 45,486 
			  Unassigned 524 
			
			 Gwent Female 3,103 
			  Male 9,793 
			  Unassigned 310 
			
			 Hampshire Female 10,071 
			  Male 25,639 
			  Unassigned 51 
			
			 Hertfordshire Female 5,200 
			  Male 12,829 
			  Unassigned 89 
			
			 Humberside Female 5,897 
			  Male 15,481 
			  Unassigned 85 
			
			 Kent Female 9,935 
			  Male 24,748 
			  Unassigned 462 
			
			 Lancashire Female 7,994 
			  Male 24,514 
			  Unassigned 172 
			
			 Leicestershire Female 3,307 
			  Male 11,323 
			  Unassigned 53 
			
			 Lincolnshire Female 2,760 
			  Male 7,621 
			  Unassigned 76 
			
			 Merseyside Female 7,130 
			  Male 22,799 
			  Unassigned 156 
			
			 Metropolitan Female 34,394 
			  Male 117,133 
			  Unassigned 562 
			
			 Norfolk Female 4,208 
			  Male 10,380 
			  Unassigned 47 
			
			 North Wales Female 3,619 
			  Male 10,253 
			  Unassigned 87 
			
			 North Yorkshire Female 3,886 
			  Male 9,416 
			  Unassigned 68 
			
			 Northamptonshire Female 1,622 
			  Male 6,137 
			  Unassigned 36 
			
			 Northumbria Female 13,235 
			  Male 30,544 
			  Unassigned 111 
			
			 Nottinghamshire Female 6,597 
			  Male 16,616 
			  Unassigned 650 
			
			 South Wales Female 7,275 
			  Male 19,187 
			  Unassigned 147 
			
			 South Yorkshire Female 7,697 
			  Male 20,835 
			  Unassigned 1 
			
			 Staffordshire Female 5,757 
			  Male 16,738 
			  Unassigned 59 
			
			 Suffolk Female 3,580 
			  Male 8,957 
			  Unassigned 266 
			
			 Surrey Female 3,610 
			  Male 10,033 
			  Unassigned 27 
			
			 Sussex Female 7,744 
			  Male 18,137 
			  Unassigned 8 
			
			 Thames Valley Female 8,540 
			  Male 23,721 
			  Unassigned 183 
			
			 Warwickshire Female 2,014 
			  Male 5,903 
			  Unassigned 40 
			
			 West Mercia Female 5,474 
			  Male 13,890 
			  Unassigned 57 
			
			 West Midlands Female 17,194 
			  Male 49,447 
			  Unassigned 1,907 
			
			 West Yorkshire Female 15,518 
			  Male 38,156 
			  Unassigned 164 
			
			 Wiltshire Female 3,230 
			  Male 8,353 
			  Unassigned 68 
			
			 Total profiles  1,094,091 
			
			 Total estimated individuals  948,577 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2 
			  Force  Gender  Total subject profile count 
			 Avon and Somerset Female 2,379 
			  Male 5,006 
			  Unassigned 100 
			
			 Bedfordshire Female 1,013 
			  Male 2,176 
			  Unassigned 9 
			
			 British Transport Female 490 
			  Male 1,898 
			  Unassigned 22 
			
			 Cambridgeshire Female 1,369 
			  Male 2,808 
			  Unassigned 1 
			
			 Cheshire Female 1,779 
			  Male 3,797 
			  Unassigned 12 
			
			 City of London Female 32 
			  Male 159 
			
			 Cleveland Female 1,489 
			  Male 3,005 
			  Unassigned 22 
			
			 Cumbria Female 1,152 
			  Male 2,622 
			  Unassigned 4 
			
			 Derbyshire Female 2,099 
			  Male 4,819 
			  Unassigned 109 
			
			 Devon and Cornwall Female 2,451 
			  Male 5,210 
			  Unassigned 1 
			
			 Dorset Female 1,077 
			  Male 2,325 
			  Unassigned 1 
			
			 Durham Female 1,487 
			  Male 3,327 
			  Unassigned 1 
			
			 Dyfed-Powys Female 928 
			  Male 2,166 
			  Unassigned 6 
			
			 Essex Female 3,816 
			  Male 7,846 
			  Unassigned 22 
			
			 Gloucestershire Female 1,112 
			  Male 2,220 
			  Unassigned 6 
			
			 Greater Manchester Female 6,178 
			  Male 13,750 
			  Unassigned 123 
			
			 Gwent Female 910 
			  Male 2,438 
			  Unassigned 94 
			
			 Hampshire Female 3,618 
			  Male 7,585 
			  Unassigned 4 
			
			 Hertfordshire Female 2,044 
			  Male 3,918 
			  Unassigned 2 
			
			 Humberside Female 1,898 
			  Male 3,866 
			  Unassigned 29 
			
			 Kent Female 3,615 
			  Male 7,582 
			  Unassigned 19 
			
			 Lancashire Female 2,513 
			  Male 6,423 
			  Unassigned 124 
			
			 Leicestershire Female 1,143 
			  Male 3,104 
			  Unassigned 5 
			
			 Lincolnshire Female 1,087 
			  Male 2,375 
			  Unassigned 34 
			
			 Merseyside Female 2,600 
			  Male 6,542 
			  Unassigned 22 
			
			 Metropolitan Female 10,589 
			  Male 30,398 
			  Unassigned 97 
			
			 Norfolk Female 1,470 
			  Male 2,776 
			
			 North Wales Female 1,185 
			  Male 2,749 
			  Unassigned 3 
			
			 North Yorkshire Female 1,580 
			  Male 2,989 
			  Unassigned 1 
			
			 Northamptonshire Female 579 
			  Male 1,685 
			  Unassigned 1 
			
			 Northumbria Female 5,052 
			  Male 9,808 
			  Unassigned 4 
			
			 Nottinghamshire Female 2,519 
			  Male 4,716 
			  Unassigned 4 
			
			 South Wales Female 2,093 
			  Male 4,578 
			  Unassigned 5 
			
			 South Yorkshire Female 3,009 
			  Male 6,223 
			  Unassigned 1 
			
			 Staffordshire Female 2,084 
			  Male 4,574 
			  Unassigned 8 
			
			 Suffolk Female 1,333 
			  Male 2,864 
			  Unassigned 6 
			
			 Surrey Female 1,390 
			  Male 2,966 
			  Unassigned 2 
			
			 Sussex Female 2,919 
			  Male 5,477 
			  Unassigned 2 
			
			 Thames Valley Female 3,622 
			  Male 7,743 
			  Unassigned 68 
			
			 Warwickshire Female 790 
			  Male 1,875 
			  Unassigned 4 
			
			 West Mercia Female 2,136 
			  Male 4,063 
			  Unassigned 3 
			
			 West Midlands Female 6,217 
			  Male 15,198 
			  Unassigned 79 
			
			 West Yorkshire Female 6,042 
			  Male 12,172 
			  Unassigned 16 
			
			 Wiltshire Female 1,080 
			  Male 2,287 
			  Unassigned 2 
			
			 Total profiles  337,154 
			
			 Total estimated individuals  292,313 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3 
			  Force  Gender  Total subject profile count 
			 Avon and Somerset Female 3,368 
			  Male 10,788 
			  Unassigned 308 
			
			 Bedfordshire Female 1,747 
			  Male 4,919 
			  Unassigned 218 
			
			 British Transport Female 1,119 
			  Male 6,222 
			  Unassigned 177 
			
			 Cambridgeshire Female 2,333 
			  Male 6,348 
			  Unassigned 10 
			
			 Cheshire Female 2,883 
			  Male 9,446 
			  Unassigned 388 
			
			 City of London Female 139 
			  Male 925 
			  Unassigned 2 
			
			 Cleveland Female 2,223 
			  Male 6,882 
			  Unassigned 40 
			
			 Cumbria Female 1,805 
			  Male 5,463 
			  Unassigned 63 
			
			 Derbyshire Female 3,392 
			  Male 10,223 
			  Unassigned 82 
			
			 Devon and Cornwall Female 4,506 
			  Male 12,912 
			  Unassigned 88 
			
			 Dorset Female 2,049 
			  Male 5,944 
			  Unassigned 25 
			
			 Durham Female 2,440 
			  Male 7,323 
			  Unassigned 5 
			
			 Dyfed-Powys Female 1,950 
			  Male 5,814 
			  Unassigned 96 
			
			 Essex Female 5,540 
			  Male 16,126 
			  Unassigned 130 
			
			 Gloucestershire Female 1,974 
			  Male 5,441 
			  Unassigned 130 
			
			 Greater Manchester Female 10,410 
			  Male 31,740 
			  Unassigned 401 
			
			 Gwent Female 2,193 
			  Male 7,355 
			  Unassigned 216 
			
			 Hampshire Female 6,453 
			  Male 18,055 
			  Unassigned 47 
			
			 Hertfordshire Female 3,156 
			  Male 8,911 
			  Unassigned 87 
			
			 Humberside Female 3,999 
			  Male 11,616 
			  Unassigned 56 
			
			 Kent Female 6,320 
			  Male 17,169 
			  Unassigned 443 
			
			 Lancashire Female 5,481 
			  Male 18,092 
			  Unassigned 48 
			
			 Leicestershire Female 2,165 
			  Male 8,220 
			  Unassigned 48 
			
			 Lincolnshire Female 1,673 
			  Male 5,246 
			  Unassigned 42 
			
			 Merseyside Female 4,530 
			  Male 16,257 
			  Unassigned 134 
			
			 Metropolitan Female 23,805 
			  Male 86,737 
			  Unassigned 439 
			
			 Norfolk Female 2,738 
			  Male 7,605 
			  Unassigned 47 
			
			 North Wales Female 2,434 
			  Male 7,506 
			  Unassigned 84 
			
			 North Yorkshire Female 2,306 
			  Male 6,427 
			  Unassigned 67 
			
			 Northamptonshire Female 1,043 
			  Male 4,452 
			  Unassigned 35 
			
			 Northumbria Female 8,183 
			  Male 20,738 
			  Unassigned 107 
			
			 Nottinghamshire Female 4,078 
			  Male 11,900 
			  Unassigned 646 
			
			 South Wales Female 5,182 
			  Male 14,611 
			  Unassigned 142 
			
			 South Yorkshire Female 4,688 
			  Male 14,613 
			
			 Staffordshire Female 3,673 
			  Male 12,164 
			  Unassigned 51 
			
			 Suffolk Female 2,247 
			  Male 6,093 
			  Unassigned 260 
			
			 Surrey Female 2,220 
			  Male 7,067 
			  Unassigned 25 
			
			 Sussex Female 4,825 
			  Male 12,660 
			  Unassigned 6 
			
			 Thames Valley Female 4,918 
			  Male 15,978 
			  Unassigned 115 
			
			 Warwickshire Female 1,224 
			  Male 4,029 
			  Unassigned 36 
			
			 West Mercia Female 3,338 
			  Male 9,827 
			  Unassigned 54 
			
			 West Midlands Female 10,977 
			  Male 34,249 
			  Unassigned 1,828 
			
			 West Yorkshire Female 9,476 
			  Male 25,985 
			  Unassigned 148 
			
			 Wiltshire Female 2,150 
			  Male 6,066 
			  Unassigned 66 
			
			 Total profiles  756,937 
			
			 Total estimated individuals  656,264

Human Trafficking

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many victims of human trafficking have been rescued by the Metropolitan Police human trafficking unit in each of the last two years.

Jacqui Smith: Figures from the Metropolitan police indicate that in 2007, there were 39 crime reports involving a potential 42 victims of human trafficking. Up to the 1 December 2008, there had been 31 reports alleging trafficking for sexual exploitation involving 34 possible victims.
	It is not possible to break down the number of victims rescued solely by the activities of the MPS trafficking team, which is one part of the Met's wider commitment to tackling organised immigration crime including human trafficking.

Identity Cards: Welsh Language

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues on issuing identity cards with text in both the Welsh and English languages; and what consideration she has given to the proposal.

Meg Hillier: Ministers are involved in discussions from time to time on many different aspects of the National Identity Scheme, including the format of the identity card. The initial cards issued to British citizens, starting in the second half of 2009 to airside workers at a small number of airports, including Manchester and London city airports, will have headings in English and French. This is in line with travel document standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
	The issue of Welsh language ID cards has been raised with Ministers by a number of Welsh MPs and at an ID card event in Cardiff in 2008. As a result, officials are in discussions with the Wales Office to see how Welsh language could be included on cards issued to Welsh residents.

Illegal Immigrants: Employment

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal workers are estimated to be residing in the UK.

Jacqui Smith: Since the abolition of embarkation controls, which started in 1994, no Government has ever been able to produce an accurate figure for the number of people who are in the country illegally and that includes those that might be working illegally.
	By the end of December 2008, the majority of foreign nationals will be counted in and out of the country.
	This is one part of the biggest shake up of border security and the immigration system in a generation which also includes the global roll-out of fingerprint visas, compulsory watch-list checks for all travellers from high risk countries before they land in Britain and ID cards for foreign nationals.
	The UK Border Agency is committed to tackling illegal migrant working and will act on any intelligence it receives that a business is employing illegal workers. Equally, if an employer is found to be employing an illegal migrant worker and they have not ensured that the person has full entitlement to work in the UK, then they may be subject to a civil penalty of up to £10,000 or, in more serious cases, criminal prosecution. If convicted on indictment, the employer may face an unlimited fine and in some cases, imprisonment for up to two years.

Immigration Controls: Foreign Workers

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to her statement of 21 October 2008,  Official Report, column 175, what the evidential basis is for the statement that 12 per cent. fewer low-skilled workers from outside the EU would have come to the UK to work last year had tier 2 of the points-based migration system been in place.

Jacqui Smith: We expect volumes for Tier 2 General and Intra Company Transfers (skilled workers within the Points Based System) to decrease because of the requirement to satisfy points criteria, such as prospective earnings and qualifications thresholds.
	Using data from work permit applications, including on earnings, we estimated that if tighter Tier 2 rules had been in place last year, 12.1 per cent. fewer people from outside EEA would have been allowed into Britain in that category (skilled migrants).

Immigration: English Language

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department made of ETS's performance before approving its Test of English as a Foreign Language for use within the immigration system; and whether any references provided were taken up.

Phil Woolas: The UK Border Agency undertook an assessment exercise to ensure that all the tests included on the list of approved English Language tests for Tier 1 satisfied our required standards of assessment and test security. In support of their application, ETS provided information on:
	Award security features
	Test methodologies
	Test security
	Test verification procedures
	How ETS Mapped their test to the Common European Framework Reference for Languages: Learning, Training, assessment (CEFR)
	How ETS train their test markers and how marking standards are set
	The bona fides of their organisation
	The results of ETS's English language tests are recognised by employers and institutions the world wide. However, the actual procurement of testing services is between ETS and the individual applicant taking their test.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she will reply to the letter to her of 28 October from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. A. Benmeddall.

Jacqui Smith: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 5 January 2009.

Metropolitan Police: Human Trafficking

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers work for the Metropolitan Police human trafficking unit.

Jacqui Smith: There are 11 police officers working for the MPS human trafficking team.
	This team is one part of the Met's wider commitment to tackling organised immigration crime. Other resources targeting these illegal activities, including human trafficking include local borough policing, Operation Maxim, Swale, Golf, Paladin Child and the Clubs and Vice Unit.

Organised Crime

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to dissuade individuals from joining gangs.

Alan Campbell: In September 2007, the Home Secretary set up the Tackling Gangs Action Programme to focus renewed action in neighbourhoods in Birmingham, Liverpool, London and Manchester where guns and gangs have caused serious harm. The initial £1.5 million programme ran for six months to March 2008 but the work is ongoing.
	This targeted approach delivered rapid results—a 51 per cent. reduction in firearms-related injuries across the four cities in six months. Recent quarterly statistics show that firearms offences continue to fall, with a reduction of 22 per cent. in April to June 2008 compared with the same period in the previous year.
	A further £1 million of funds has been allocated to build on enforcement work, community reassurance and Third Sector delivery of support in the four TGAP areas. A Practical Guide was published in May to local partners highlighting examples of good practice on gang prevention. In September, we launched a gangs guide to parents to help prevent their children becoming involved in gangs and due to demand, a further 250,000 are being made available. More recently, £4.5 million of additional funding over the period 2009-12 was announced for local community groups in targeted areas. The new fund will provide grants for intensive work with young people most at risk of gun, gang or knife crime through mentoring and outreach work.

Police

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average crime clear-up rate was in England and Wales in 2007-08, broken down by police force; what assessment she has made of the reasons for differences in such rates between police forces; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: The information requested is given in the following table. Detections (or 'clear ups') can be subdivided into sanction and non-sanction detections. Sanction detections are now the preferred method, providing a more meaningful comparison of individual force performance. From 1 April 2007 the rules governing recording of non-sanction detections were revised to reduce the scope within which they be claimed to a very limited set of circumstances. Some forces have already abandoned their use on non-sanction detections altogether. The reductions in the use of non-sanction detections are clearly demonstrated by the figures given in the table.
	There are variations in detection rates across police force areas. These variations reflect a range of factors, including differing resources available to investigate crime, varying force priorities and the crime mix within the wider offence groups.
	Different offence types have different detection rates so any changes in the 'crime mix' will also affect the overall rates of detection. Furthermore, the most numerous crimes have the greatest influence on overall detection rates. Sanction detections rates for individual offence groups by police force area are published in Table 7.04 of 'Crime in England and Wales 2007-08' which is available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/hosb0708chap7.xls
	
		
			  Detection rates by police force area and region, 2007-08( 1) 
			  Police force areas, English regions and Wales  Detection rate  Sanction detection rate 
			 Cleveland 33 33 
			 Durham 29 29 
			 Northumbria 38 38 
			 North East Region 35 35 
			 Cheshire 26 26 
			 Cumbria 38 38 
			 Greater Manchester 25 25 
			 Lancashire 35 35 
			 Merseyside 32 32 
			 North West Region 29 29 
			 Humberside 31 31 
			 North Yorkshire 33 33 
			 South Yorkshire 27 27 
			 West Yorkshire 24 24 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber Region 27 27 
			 Derbyshire 29 29 
			 Leicestershire 27 27 
			 Lincolnshire 28 28 
			 Northamptonshire 25 25 
			 Nottinghamshire 23 23 
			 East Midlands Region 26 26 
			 Staffordshire 28 28 
			 Warwickshire 26 26 
			 West Mercia 29 29 
			 West Midlands 27 27 
			 West Midlands Region 27 27 
			 Bedfordshire 22 22 
			 Cambridgeshire 27 27 
			 Essex 32 32 
			 Hertfordshire 30 30 
			 Norfolk 32 32 
			 Suffolk 30 30 
			 East of England Region 30 29 
			 London, City of 36 36 
			 Metropolitan Police 25 25 
			 London Region 25 25 
			 Hampshire 27 26 
			 Kent 27 27 
			 Surrey 27 27 
			 Sussex 32 32 
			 Thames Valley 25 25 
			 South East Region 27 27 
			 Avon and Somerset 25 25 
			 Devon and Cornwall 28 28 
			 Dorset 27 27 
			 Gloucestershire 32 32 
			 Wiltshire 27 27 
			 South West Region 27 27 
			 Dyfed-Powys 42 42 
			 Gwent 30 30 
			 North Wales 40 40 
			 South Wales 26 26 
			 Wales 31 31 
			 British Transport Police 27 27 
			 England and Wales 28 28 
			 (1) Percentage of offences detected.

Seized Articles: Motor Vehicles

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many motor cars have been seized wrongly owing to  (a) inaccuracies in and  (b) omissions from the Motor Insurers Database in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by police authority in England.

Alan Campbell: This information is not collected centrally. The police are empowered to seize any vehicle where the driver cannot produce a valid certificate of insurance and they are reasonable grounds for believing he or she is driving without appropriate insurance. In forming their opinion the police will typically refer to the Motor Insurers' Database and the dedicated police helpline provided by the Motor Insurance Bureau to help resolve any apparent discrepancy between database information and assertions by the motorist.

Serious Organised Crime Agency

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many cases were being investigated by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency in which criminal confiscation action had been initiated in  (a) Northern Ireland and  (b) the UK as at 31 March 2008; what the estimated value of the assets restrained in those cases was; in how many such investigations SOCA has obtained a confiscation order; what the value of assets affected by such orders is; and what the estimated value of assets restrained under such orders is;
	(2)  how many criminal investigations were opened by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08; what value of assets have been restrained in such cases in each year; in how many such cases assets have been restrained in each year; what estimate has been made of the value of assets under investigation in such cases in each year; how many such cases related to criminal confiscation investigations in each year; and how many such cases resulted in persons being charged in each year.

Alan Campbell: The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) undertakes a range of operational activity in order to fulfil its functions as defined in sections 2 and 3 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005. As referred to in its latest annual report, SOCA's contribution to the UK Serious Organised Crime Control Strategy in the two years since it was formed has been:
	2006-07: 404 operations and projects.
	2007-08: 459 operations and projects. In addition, as at 31 March 2008 SOCA was undertaking 173 inquiries (single strand investigations).
	Operations are multi-faceted and the activity is tailored to that which is most likely to have the greatest impact on harm at the time. During the lifetime of an operation a SOCA investigation may switch between a criminal investigation and an investigation that seeks to disrupt an individual, group, or criminal activity other than by way of a criminal investigation and vice versa, or it may look to prosecute some members of the group and use civil or other powers against others. SOCA does not therefore hold information on the number of separate criminal investigations within operations. Information on the number of arrests and convictions flowing from SOCA's work is set out in the SOCA annual report.
	Every SOCA tasked operation will include a financial element and criminal confiscation will be pursued where appropriate. Where SOCA has decided to take forward a criminal confiscation investigation in conjunction with a criminal investigation, these investigations are in persona e.g. against the person not in rem e.g. against the property.
	SOCA therefore does not measure each criminal investigation in terms of assets involved, but in terms of the criminal's benefit from their conduct.

HM Courts Service: Hampshire

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many vacancies there were in  (a) the Courts Service and  (b) the Bailiff Service (i) on the Isle of Wight and (ii) in Hampshire in each of the last five years.

Bridget Prentice: External recruitment for all permanent staff in Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS) is managed through a central resourcing unit. This unit has been involved in filling external vacancies throughout the period in question. Firstly, for the former Court Service, which includes the bailiffs and following the creation of HMCS, it has also dealt with vacancies in the former magistrates courts. The following vacancies have been handled during the last five years for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Area.
	In 2004, there were 22 vacancies filled through the central unit and one of these was for a bailiff in Hampshire. There were no vacancies on the Isle of Wight.
	In 2005, there were 35 vacancies in total. In Hampshire there were 33 general vacancies and one vacancy for a bailiff. There was one general vacancy on the Isle of Wight.
	In 2006, there were 21 vacancies in total. In Hampshire there were 18 general vacancies and one vacancy for a bailiff post. There were two general vacancies on the Isle of Wight.
	In 2007, there were 33 vacancies in total. In Hampshire there were 30 general vacancies and one vacancy for a bailiff post. There were two general vacancies on the Isle of Wight.
	For the current year, a total of 49 posts have been handled by the unit. In Hampshire there have been 45 general vacancies and two vacancies for bailiffs. In addition, they have dealt with one general vacancy and one bailiff vacancy for the Isle of Wight.

Drugs: Misuse

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 10 September 2008,  Official Report, column 1898W, on drugs: misuse, how many people were discharged from treatment for drug misuse, broken down by discharge reason, in 2007-08; how many people left treatment in 2007-08; and how many people returned to drug treatment having previously been discharged as having  (a) completed treatment,  (b) completed treatment drug free and  (c) completed treatment and been referred on.

Dawn Primarolo: The following table shows the number of individuals discharged from structured treatment for drug misuse, by discharge reason, for 2007-08. These data are taken from the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) statistical release 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008, published by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA).
	
		
			  Discharge reason  Percentage  Number 
			 Treatment completed drug free 11 7,324 
			 Treatment completed 25 17,306 
			 Referred on 16 10,811 
			 Total Successful Discharges 51 35,441 
			
			 Dropped out/left 28 19,591 
			 Prison 6 4,240 
			 Other 4 2,817 
			 Treatment declined by client 3 2,169 
			 Treatment withdrawn/breach of contract 3 2,078 
			 Moved away 2 1,605 
			 Died 1 784 
			 Not known(1) 1 520 
			 No appropriate treatment available 1 367 
			 Total (individuals discharged) — 69,612 
			 Missing/inconsistent data — 30 
			 Total including missing/inconsistent data — 69,642 
			 (1) That is where agency staff indicated that they did not know the reason for discharge 
		
	
	Data on individuals in structured drug and alcohol treatment are collected by the NTA via the NDTMS, using the following definitions for successful discharge reasons:
	'Treatment completed drug free' refers to an individual, who the treatment provider believes has completed their treatment no longer dependent on their drug of misuse and is not using any other illegal drugs.
	'Treatment completed' refers to an individual, who the treatment provider believes has completed their treatment no longer dependent on their drug of misuse, but who may be using drugs in a non-dependent way.
	'Referred on' refers to an individual who, on completion of a Tier 3 or 4 service, is transferred to a Tier 2 service or support services such as housing support or employment support.
	Information on the number of individuals who have re-entered structured drug treatment, after having been discharged from structured treatment for drug misuse, is not routinely calculated.

NHS: Public Appointments

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress his Department has made on the process for appointing the new Strategic Health Authority Medical Directors as announced in the NHS Next Stage Review, High Quality Care for All, published on 30 June 2008.

Ann Keen: The strategic health authorities are making good progress in providing the medical leadership described in 'High quality care for all' and we expect that all will have a medical director in post by April 2009.

Patients: Safety

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 26 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 519-22W, on NHS: personal records, how many nutrition-related adverse incidents were recorded in each month between January 2005 and December 2007 in each NHS trust.

Ann Keen: For the period between January 2005 and December 2007, it is estimated that there have been around 68,148 nutrition-related adverse incidents recorded on the reporting and learning system (RLS) at strategic health authority (SHA) level.
	Detailed information on the type and size of incidents is not held or analysed centrally by the Department or the National Patient Safety Agency and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost due to the complexity associated with processing 36 months of data by each trust.

Departmental Correspondence

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many  (a) letters and  (b) e-mails received by his Department had not been responded to as at 15 December 2008.

Ivan Lewis: The Cabinet Office publishes an annual report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to letters from Members and Peers. Information relating to 2008 will be published as soon as it has been collated.
	In respect of e-mails received by DFID, it is not possible to provide this information without incurring disproportionate cost.
	DFID also publishes information on letters and e-mails from members of the public and organisations in its Annual Report. Information relating to 2007 is available to view in section 10.12 at:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Pubs/files/departmental-report/2008/Chapter10.pdf

Departmental Publications

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Selby of 6 February 2007,  Official Report, column 768W, if he will place in the Library a copy of the corporate communications strategy.

Michael Foster: The 2005 Strategy referred to by the hon. Member has been superseded by the September 2008 publication "Communication Matters". This is available on the DFID website, and a copy will be placed in the Library.
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/commsstrategy.pdf

Children in Care: Young Offenders

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Stafford of 11 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 1067-8W, on children in care: crime, what the estimated total cost of the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders has been since its inception.

Beverley Hughes: The funding provided by the Government to NACRO to support their work on reducing offending by young people, including by looked after children, is summarised in the following table. This also includes details of funding provided to NACRO for a short-term project to produce guidance about setting up and managing effective remand foster care provision.
	
		
			  £000 
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  Total 2004-07 
			 NACRO—core funding 140 100 75  
			 Remand fostering project 50 — —  
			 Total 190 100 75 365

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 19 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 635-6W, on the General Certificate of Secondary Education, how many and what percentage of pupils in the maintained, mainstream sector achieved five GCSEs including a modern language GCSE at grades A* to C in each year since 2004, broken down by index of multiple deprivation deciles.

Jim Knight: The information requested can be provided only at a disproportionate cost. The information relating to the proportion of pupils achieving A*-C in one Modern Foreign Language GCSE in 2008 is available in the following table:
	
		
			  Pupils at the end of key stage 4 achieving A*-C in a modern foreign language GCSE or equivalent by IDACI deprivation decile of known pupil residence, 2008( 1) 
			  IDACI decile  Number of pupils achieving A*-C in one Modern Foreign Language  Percentage of pupils achieving A*-C in one Modern Foreign Language 
			 0 -10% most deprived 10,023 14.6 
			 10-20% 11,101 17.5 
			 20-30% 11,708 19.8 
			 30-40% 13,077 22.8 
			 40-50% 14,350 25.5 
			 50-60% 15,914 29.1 
			 60-70% 17,506 32.1 
			 70-80% 19,352 35.0 
			 80-90% 21,800 38.5 
			 90-100% least deprived 26,299 45.4 
			 (1) Provisional.  Source: National Pupil Database

Languages: GCSE

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the Answer of 8 November 2006,  Official Report, column 1742W, on GCSEs, how many and what proportion of pupils achieved GCSEs at A* to C in two foreign languages in each year since 1996.

Jim Knight: The information requested is given in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of 15-year-olds  Percentage achieving two or more GCSEs in modern foreign languages at grades A*-C 
			 2008 653,892 4.7 
			 2007 656,392 4.7 
			 2006 649,905 5.0 
			 2005 636,771 5.3 
			 2004 643,560 5.3 
			 2003 622,122 5.4 
			 2002 606,554 5.8 
			 2001 603,318 5.9 
			 2000 580,393 5.9 
			 1999 580,972 6.2 
			 1998 575,210 6.5 
			 1997 586,766 7.0 
			 1996 594,035 7.3 
			  Notes: 1. The data are based on 15-year-old pupils at the start of the academic year. 2. The 2008 data are provisional and subject to change 3. The data were taken from the Achievement and Attainment Tables' data.

National Curriculum Tests: Contracts

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the Statement of 16 December 2008,  Official Report, columns 991-93, on the Sutherland Inquiry, on what dates between June 2007 to July 2008 staff of his Department drew their own assessments of risks in the Key Stage Testing Contract to the attention of Ministers in his Department; what concerns were raised; what action Ministers took in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: As Lord Sutherland reported, DCSF had comprehensive arrangements in place to monitor QCA's performance, including good project and risk management processes which provided thorough coverage across the Department's business. Between June 2007 and early July 2008 (when the NAA alerted Ministers to the likely delays to the release of test data), DCSF officials reported their assessment of risks to DCSF Ministers on several occasions. Ministers also received regular updates on national curriculum test delivery from the QCA and NAA, who continued to reassure Ministers as late as 17 June that delivery remained on track. Ministers responded to these assessments by seeking reassurance from QCA and NAA that they had suitable action in hand to secure delivery of their contractors' obligations.

Climate Change

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what additional  (a) personnel and  (b) financial resources his Department has allocated to addressing climate change in accordance with the undertaking given in the Written Ministerial Statement of 23 January 2008,  Official Report, column 52WS, on the New Strategic Framework.

David Miliband: In accordance with new Strategic Framework for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, I have substantially increased both the resources devoted to addressing climate change at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). The Climate Change and Energy programme budget in the FCO's Strategic Programme Fund has been increased from £4.7 million in FY 2007-08 to £10 million for FY 2008-09, £16 million for FY 2009-10 and £21 million for FY 2010-11.
	In addition, the number of staff working to deliver climate change and energy objectives has also increased. £0.8 million has been provided to create 19 new positions in London. An extra £5.732 million for diplomatic missions in priority countries has created 32.5 new positions for British diplomats on postings and 73 positions for locally-engaged members of staff.
	I have stepped up the frequency of my discussions on climate change with counterparts and will continue to do so, in coordination with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, in advance of the critical UNFCCC (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) Conference of Parties at Copenhagen in December 2009.

Climate Change

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the Answer of 26 November 2008, on climate change, 
	(1)  whether there will be any change to  (a) resources and  (b) personnel devoted to the Climate Change and Energy programme in his Department in light of the creation of a Department for Energy and Climate Change;
	(2)  where each of the 73 locally-engaged members of staff are based; with which UK mission they work; and what their responsibilities are;
	(3)  which countries are priorities for his Department's Climate Change and Energy programme; what the  (a) grade and  (b) responsibilities are of the 32.5 new positions for British diplomats; and in which countries they are based;
	(4)  what mechanisms exist for the co-ordination of his Department's Climate Change and Energy programme with the Department for Energy and Climate Change; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: As I referred to in the answer I gave on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 2138W, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has substantially increased the level of resources devoted to addressing climate change. We do not intend to alter this approach following the creation of the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC). Addressing climate change continues to be a top priority for the Foreign Office and is a key part of Departmental Strategic Objective (DSO) 7.
	The distribution of the new locally-engaged staff and UK-based diplomats to which I referred in my previous answer will be in line with FCO priority countries for HMG's objectives on climate change. These are: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Turkey and the USA. The newly recruited staff are located in: Caracas, Bogota, Lima, Brasilia, Vancouver, Ottawa, Santiago, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, La Paz, Washington and across the US network, New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Beijing and across the China network, Jakarta, Singapore, Kuala Lumpar, Bangkok, Manila, Tokyo, Seoul, Pretoria, Cape Town, Berlin, Rome and Warsaw. UK-based diplomats have been recruited at grades SMS, D6 and C4. The newly recruited staff have a range of responsibilities which vary depending on the climate change and energy priorities of the mission in which they are based. These priorities are set out in each mission's business plan.
	Members of DECC sit on the FCO's DSO 7 programme board and the Strategic Programme Fund Board, while the FCO sits on the cross-Whitehall International Climate Change and Energy Board, which is chaired by DECC. The International Strategy and Campaigns Unit (ISCU) was also created in early 2008 to co-ordinate HMG policy on aspects of climate change policy. The UK Government are critically aware of the need to ensure our climate change and energy policies are developed and delivered in a coherent manner.

Diplomatic Service: Recruitment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1763W, on the Diplomatic Service: public appointments, what outreach activities have been undertaken in the last 12 months.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) takes a targeted approach to outreach activities, aimed at broadening the diversity of our work force, including through a new positive action programme, the Partner University Placement Scheme (PUPS).
	The partner universities are Bath, Bristol, Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh, Kings College, Manchester, Nottingham, Oxford and University College London, and were chosen because they scored highly both in terms of academic achievement and ethnic diversity and/or social inclusion.
	The FCO also participates in Cabinet Office diversity internships taking students from the Summer Development Programme (SDP) and the Summer Placement Scheme (SPS). The SDP is an internship for students from a minority ethnic background and the SPS is for students with a registered disability.
	The FCO has also attended:
	Two university work experience fairs at Durham and Kings College;
	Four university careers fairs at Cambridge, Edinburgh, Bath and Kings College;
	The National Graduate Recruitment Exhibition in Manchester.
	FCO Services, a Trading Fund of the FCO, has attended two careers fairs in Milton Keynes.
	These outreach activities were specifically targeted at the recruitment of candidates for vacancies and work experience schemes. All these events contained a strong message aimed at increasing the diversity base of those who apply for roles at the FCO.

Ilois: Resettlement

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 16 December 2008,  Official Report, columns 699-700W, on Ilois: resettlement, when he expects the costs in the case of R (Bancoult)  v. Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to be finalised; and if he will make public the information when it becomes available.

Gillian Merron: The costs of the respondent in the case of R (Bancoult)  v. Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in the House of Lords on which judgment was given on 22 October 2008 have not yet been finalised. Subject to any unforeseen actions that arise in the court process, it is expected that the issue of costs be finalised in accordance with the applicable court procedures over the next few months. The information on costs will be made available to Parliament and to the public, assuming such disclosure is permitted by the courts.

Rashid Rauf

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made representations to the Pakistan government on the suspected death of Mr Rashid Rauf following a US air strike on the village of Ali Khel on 22 November 2008.

Bill Rammell: We do not have confirmation of the death of Rashid Rauf. Following a request from his family, we have requested official confirmation from the Government of Pakistan.